Carl Sagan’s haunting predictions from 1995 which have come true today: “A kind of celebration of ignorance”
The scientist regularly had prescient words on humanity’s fate, and this occasion was no different.
The late, great Carl Sagan was usually correct whenever he chose to open his mouth to speak, and what came out was more often than not wisdom worth heeding. On one particular occasion, however, he struck the nail so smoothly it feels almost eerie to revisit wearing the spectacles of the modern day.
Writing in his 1995 book The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, Sagan delivered what might be the most prescient thought of his life:
“I have a foreboding of an America in my children’s or grandchildren’s time — when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the key manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what’s true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness.”
‘We’re talking about a kind of celebration of ignorance’
His prescience on society continues in a further chapter: “There is a widespread illiteracy of science. The plain lesson is that study and learning — not just of science, but of anything — are somehow unfashionable. We’re talking about a kind of celebration of ignorance.”
Sagan’s idea of a “celebration of ignorance” is not about simply not knowing something: it’s about the pride people sometimes take in rejecting complexity, questioning and arguing against without a desire to understand, and dismissing educated perspectives as elitist. Politicians and media figures have weaponised this very sentiment to fuel the fire of distrust into people of institutions framing them as part of a corrupt establishment — who could I possibly be talking about?
Related stories
Sagan was not just lamenting a decline in education — he was sounding the alarm for democracy itself as the working people who inhabit the planet watch it slide away.
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.